Acetylene-gas generator.



PATENTED MAR. 1,1904. J. M. & P.'M..FLUGSTAD. AGBTYLBNE GAS GENERATOR;

"APPLICATION mun JULY 9, 1903. v

' a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.-

Inventors ugstad /a stud Witnesses @zWM Attorney No. 753,691. PATENTED MAR. 1,1904.

J. M-(KBPQ M. FLUGSTAD.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 9, 190a. 7 no MODEL. v a SHEETS-SHEET a.

At torney TNE NORRIS ztzns co. FNOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. n.c4

Inventors "DLc gsiad -l ITO-753,691

v PATENTED MAR.1,1904. J.'M-."& P. M. PLUGsT n, AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.-

APPLIOATIOF nun JULY 9, 1903.

a Snnn'rswnnm-s.

, ln 'entors Ql/M/ugstad WitntsScs Attorney Patented March 1, 1904. I

i-UNITED T T PATENT JOHN MI, 'FLUesTAD AND PETER MQFLUesrAD. or coavALLrsgli MQNTANA.

ACE-TYLENE-GAS" GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753, 91 dated-Maren 1,1904.' Application fildJuly 9, 1903. Serialll'o. 164,346. Qa as.)

scription of the invention,v such as will enable chamber being shown in section.

others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. p Q

I Our invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas generators; and it consists in the construction and combination-of devices here; inafter described and clalmed.

In the accompanying drawings,1Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of an acetylene-gas gener: ator embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 ispartly a top plan view and; partly a hori zontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line a; a of Fig. 2. Fig. a is a detail sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line I) b of Fig. .2. ,Fig.5 isj' adetailelevation of the feed-bar and valve-operating arm. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of thec'arbid-valve, the coacting parts of the carbid Fig; 7 iS a detail sectional view taken on the plane inclicatedby the line a 00f Fig. 6. V

A gas-generating chamber 1, which is adapts ed to contain a quantity of water, is here shown as a tank which is provided at its upper side with a contracted neck portion. 2 The said tank is provided on one side with ,a valve 3 for the dischargeof water and slud e or spent carbid from the tank, and the bottom 4 of the tank inclines toward the said valve to facilitate the discharge of the sludge therefrom. At a suitable distance from the bottom of the tank 1 is a cross-bar 5; which has 'anopening-6. A stirrer 7, which is revoluble, is, disposed in the tank 1 immediately above the bottom thereof and is provided with an operating-rod 8,'which extends-upwardly throughthe tank and the top thereof and is provided at its upper end with the crank-handle 9, by which it may be rotated. The said operating-rod 8 is disposed in and extends through a tubularcas ing 1O, the; low er portion of which 5 merged in the waterin the tank 1 and forms a water seal which e'lfectually prevents the es:

cape of gasfrom the tank. around. the.rod.8.-- 1,

The lower; portion of thetubular casing 10 is attached to and bracedbythe cross-bard and- 5 5 rod 8 alsoextends through anopeninginthe said cross bar. The latter also serves as a brace in the; sides .of the-tank 1 and strength- 1 ens the construction, of the tank, as will; be understood. r I g 3 g In one side, of the generating tank l isa pipe t e pp r e do h chis pen o e the water-level in the tank; said pipeserving for the discharge of gas from the tank-,5 The lower portion of the said pip'e extendsout- L 5 wardly through one side ofthe tank1, -..and its extreme lower end is; down-turnedand connected toan inverted-funnel-shapedscreen12, which is preferably made of; sheet metalfand is perforated; but which may be-made of any 7 O suitableforaminous material. p A The neck 2 is detachable from the generat: ing tank, 1 and is provided at its lower end with an outwardly-extending flange 13,,which issecured to the ,top of the tank by meansof bolts 14. Suitable packing material, asindi cated at 14, is interposed between the. said flange and the upper side of the tank. A carbldr'tttllk 15 is here shown as cylindrical in o mw a r ted fun lrs ap mber portionrl6 and afunnel-shaped lower portion 17 the latter havinga discharge-spout-lS. at its lower end, which is here shown as cylin drical in form and the lower ,end of which is curved,, as at 19. ;.There is aneck portion120 5 at the upper side of the carbid-tank,.,O1 which is screwed a closure 21, which hasanarm22. The lower end of the carbid-tank is. inserted 1 in the upper portion of the neck 2 and se curely fastened thereto. Tooneside of the 9 carbid-tank is a bracket 23, whiclrdepends e from. A c bidrv llve :s t24ij whic is horizontally disposech'iha's its bearings in the bracket 23 and in a stufling box 25 in one side of the neck 2. The inner end of. said. shaft extends into the discharge neck or spout 18 of the carbid-tank and is provided with an agitator or stirrer 26, which within the scope :i

of our invention may be of any suitable form. It is here shown as comprising a plurality of radially-disposed arms 27 which turn with the shaft. The carbid valve 28 is a shoe which is curved transversely on the radius of the curved lower side 19 of thedischarge neck or spout of the carbid-tank, the inner faceof the said shoe being concentric with the shaft 24. The bottom 19 of the neck or spout of the carbid-tank is provided with a dischargeopening 29, which extends laterally across the same and the length of which is practically coextensive with the width of the carbid-valve. The latter has an arm 30, by which it is connected to the shaft 24 for operation thereby, the said arm being here shown as provided with a set-screw 31 to bind it to the shaft. It will be understood that by means of the shaft the carbid-valve may be turned to open the slot or discharge-opening 29 of the carbid tank to any desired extent and cause carbid to be discharged therefrom and be dropped into the water in the generating-tank. It will be also understood that the agitator or stirrer 26 turns with the shaft 24 and that said agitator or stirrer serves to prevent carbid from lodging in the discharge spout or neck of the carbid-tank. To the outer endof theshaft 24 is attached an operating-arm 32. 0n the said shaft is also secured a segmental arm 33, which is substantially parallel with the arm 32 and the weight of which is suflicient to cause the shaft 24, and hence the carbid-valve, to turn in one direction when the arm 32 is released by the mechanism hereinafter described. A gasometer 34, which comprises a-water-tank 35 and bell 36, is disposed near the generating-tank 1. The water-tank has a false bottom 37 which forms a gas-purifying chamber 38 in its lower side, and the discharge end of the gas-tube 11, provided with the inverted funnel shaped screen 12, is disposed in the said chamber38 and submerged in thewater therein. A gasa service pipe 39 leadsfrom thechamber 38 at apoint above the water-level; A pipe-4O is disposed in the water-tank 35, is of suitable height, has its upper'end open, andsaidpipe extends downwardly through without communicating with the interior of the purifyingchamber 38 and is connected with a union41, towhich a gas-discharge pipe 42 (shown in dotted lines) may be coupled. A pipe 43 isalsocoupled'to the union 41 and communicates with the gas-space of the generating-tank 1. In" the said pipe 43 is a vent-valve44. The said valve has a vertically-disposed operatingrod45, ,on whichis secured a horizontally-disposed segmental disk-arm 46, which is adapted toengage the disk-arm 33 'of shaft 24. The upper portion of said'rod 45 is journaled in a bearing 47 which projects from one side of the carbid-tank, and at the upper end of said rod 45 isa detent-arm 48, which is adapted toengagethe arm 22 of the closure 21 to prevent tube'extends upwardly above the water-level in the said tank and is open at its upper end under the top of the gas-bell. Said tube communicates with the gas-space of the gaspuri- "fying chamber 38, as at 50. The gas-bell has a tube 51, which is attached to its upper side, depends therefrom, and is of suitable length. The upper end of this tube 51 is closed, and its lower end is open, and said tube telescopes over the tube 40 and slides vertically thereon with the ascent and descent of the gas-bell. At a suitable distance from its lower open end said tube 51 is provided with an opening 52, which when it is-above the water-lineof the tank 35 enables excess gas to pass from the bell into the pipe40 and through the latter to the union 41 and discharge-pipe 42, which latter pipe leads to the outer air. A

guide-bar 53 extends transverselyacross the lower portionof the gas-bell and has acentral opening 54, throughwhich the tube 49 extends, said guide-rod being thereby adapted to slide on said tube,aswill be understood.

Two or more guide-rods55 projectupwardly' from the water -tank and are: engaged by guide ears or brackets 56, which are attached to the upper'side of the gas-bell andextend outwardly therefrom and have sliding connection with said guide rods. Said guide rods and ears or brackets 56 prevent the upper side of the gas-bell from moving laterally, and 'the same oflice is performed for the'lowerend thereof by the bar 53- and tube"49. Hence thegas-bell is adapted to move only in a vertical directionand is entirely prevented from wabbling during such movement or inclining in any direction.

A funnel 57 is attached to one side of the generator-tank 1 and extends above the same, and the lower side of the said funnel is connected by a pipe 58 to thesaid tank,so-that water may be supplied tothe latter through said funnel. An arm or lever 59 isattached to the rod 45 and by means of which said rod 45 may be turned to open the vent-valve 44 to supply air to the tank 1 when the latter is being discharged of the water and sludge therein, and this movement of the rod 45 causes its arm 48 to move out of the path of the arm22 of the closure 21, so that thelatter may be opened to permit the supply of carbid to the tank 15. Whenthus turned,- the arm 59 clears theupper side of the funnel 57, so that-a new supply of water may beintroduced into the' gencrating-tank 1. The discharge-valve 3 of the latter has a lock-bar 6O,which is connected by a chain 61' to the said lever 59. When the latter isin the position hereinbefore described to clean the funnel 57, the chain 611 is slack to IIO - arm 46, which is a detent, is in position to 'engage the disk -arm33, which is also a detent,-- the arm'32 having'been previously manually turned to an elevatedpositio n to close the carbid-feedvalvethe disks or detents 33 46 coact- I ing to lock the said carbidrfe'ed valvein a closed position. Hence the generating apparatus may be readily chargedwith' carbid and water and cleansed when necessary. It will be 'under' stood that this will only be done when the gas in the gasometerhas been spent. After thus charging' the apparatus with carbid before putting thesame in automatic operation the valve 28'will be operated manually to drop a certain quantity of the carbid into the generating-tank 1, and valve 44" being 'open the gas generated will expel the air from the generating-tank through the pipes 43 and 42 and prevent it from being'forced into the gasometer, and hence into the service-pipe.

Vent-valve 44 will then be closed fbyturn'ing the lever 59 to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, which movement of the lever causes it to lie above the funnel 57 to prevent water from being poured therein and tightens the chain 61 to cause the lock-bar 60 to prevent the valve 3 from being opened, and this movement of the lever 59 also causes the detent-disk 46 to be disengaged from and to clear the path of the detent diskor arm 33, so that thereafter the carbid-feed valve may be automatically operated by the means which we will now describe.

The feed-bar 62, which is vertically disposed I and of suitable length, is conneced at a suitvice 63, and said feed-bar is disposed on one side of the water-tank 34 and rises and falls with the gas-bell. Near its upper end it is provided with bearings for a tappet-screw 64, which has a winged head whereby it may be readily turned to protrude from one side of the feed-bar into the path of the arm 32 or to be withdrawn to a position to disengage and clear said arm and permit the same to be turned manually in position to close the valve 28 to start the apparatus in operation, as hereinbefore described. The said feedbar has a flange 65, whichprojects laterally therefrom. The upper end of the said flange is at a suitable distance below the tappetscrew 64 to enable said arm 32 to bear between the upper end of said flange and said tappet-screw, as will be understood, when the gas-bell is at the lower limit of its movement. When the apparatus has been charged with carbid and water, as hereinbefore stated, and has been put in operation, the arm 33 is turned down below the tappet-screw 64, the' latter being turned so as to bear against the upper side of said arm. This opens the car bid-feed valve and causes gas to be generated in the tank 1, the gas passing fromsaid tank" throughthe pipe 11 and screen 12 intothe water in the tank 38 saidscreen causing the gasto be broken up into small particles, as it -were,:and hence subjected to'the thorough cooling and cleansing action of the water,and

the gas after bubbling upthrough'the'water in the tank 38 passing directly into the service-pipe 29. If this gas-supply is greater than" service-pipe, which is always the case, the excess gas passes up through the pipe 49 into the gas-bell and becomes stored therein, the

bell being caused to riseby the pressure of the gas thereunden'whereupon' the feed-bar 65 moves upwardly with the bell and coacts with the lever 32 by turningthe latter inan-l inclined position to close the carbid feed valve. As the gas is expended the-bell lowers until the tappet-screw '64 reengages the arm 32, the weight-disk 33, as hereinbefore described, causing the shaft 24 to turneto the extent required to thus reengage the-tappi-Lhv screw with the arm 32, and the'continued-de scent of the gas-bell after the tappet-screw has been thus engaged with the arm 32 causes the latter to reopen the carbid-feed valve, and thus cause another quantity of gas to be generated.

Hence the apparatus is automatic in its operation. The flange 64 bears against the free end of the arm 32 during the ascent and descent of the gas-bell at such times as the arm resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In acetylene-gas-generating apparatus, the combination of a generator vessel, -a carbid vessel, a carbid-feed valve, a partly-revoluble rod to operate the carbid-feed valve, said rod having a detent segment-arm 33 and an operating-arm, a gasometer having a gas connection with the generating vessel and a movable element having means to engage and actuate the operating-arm, and a partly-revolu" ble, manually-operated element'having a seg-- merit-arm 46, to coact withthe segment-arm 33'to lock the carbid-feed-valve-operating rod I in position to close the valve and maintain the operating-arm out of operative relation to the actuating means of themovable element of the gasometer. i

2. In acetylene-gasgenerating apparatus,

thmcombinationmf'a generator vessel, a car-" bid vessel having a supply-port and a closure-1 therefor, a carbid-feed valve, a rod to operate it, said; rod having a detent element andi-an automaticallyeoperating element, a gasometer having a gas connection with the generating vessel and a movable element having an automatically operating element to coaet with that ofthe carbid-feed-valve-operating rod, and ,1

1 element of the gasometer, open the vent-valve j manually-operated means to lock the said rodinposition to close the carbid-feed valve and disengage the automatically operating element of the said rod from that of the gasometer, said manually-operated means, having a look element operated thereby, effective,

when the carbid-feed-valve-operating rod is released, to lock the closure of the carbidvessel-supply port.

3. In aoetylene-gas-generating apparatus,

the combination of a generator vessel, aventvalve, water-supply funnel therefor, and a sludgevalve therefor, means to look the sludge-valve, a carbid-feed element, a rod to operate said carbidfeed element, said rod having an automatically-operatingelement, a gasometer having a gaseonneotion with the rameei- .v

generating vessel 1 andfurther provided with-.1 amovable element having an automatically operating element i301 coaot. with that iofwthe' oarbid-feed-elementeoperating,.rod,; andman -g many-operating means ,efiectivewhen inione positionto lock said rodiin ,positionato sus-l pend action of said i carbid-feed element; @1 1 disengage the automatically-e operating B16121, ment of said rod from: that ofathe movable ss andrelease the sludge-valvelook, and efiective when in another position torelease. thew carbidfeedelement operating rod, engage the automatically-operating, element thereof a 41 with that of the movable element of the gas-i. ometer, close the vent-valve, look the sludge-i valve, and fend thewater-supply funnel;

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set ,w our hands in presence of two subscribing wit- 45 nesses. a

JOHN M. FLUGSTAD, PETER M, FLUGSTAD.

Witnesses:

THoMAs H. IRVINE,- DAVID A. BISHOP. 

